Body donation law would change under Michigan House bill

by NBC25 Newsroom

Sat, 05 Apr 2014 12:25:26 GMT — Any accredited Michigan medical school could receive dead body donations under legislation being considered in the state House.

Residents now can donate their bodies to one of three older medical schools, which allocate some donations to other schools and hospitals. But Michigan's new medical schools want to receive bodies independently to promote donations in their areas and streamline the process.

The number of medical schools in Michigan doubled from three to six in recent years, largely in response to a shortage of doctors in many areas of the state.

Program representatives say that because medical students begin learning from cadavers in their first year, the need for donors is unprecedented.